


Our future is up to us

by plato_rocks



Series: Enola and Sherlock (and Mycroft) [5]
Category: Enola Holmes (2020), Enola Holmes Series - Nancy Springer, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Aromantic, Asexual Character, Big Brothers, Brotherly Love, Career Woman, Family, Feminist Themes, Gen, Happily Ever After, Little Sisters, Marriage Proposal, Mycroft Being a Good Brother, No Incest, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Love, Rejected suitor, Sherlock Being a Good Brother, Sherlock Holmes Has Feelings, Sherlock Holmes To The Rescue, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27143546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plato_rocks/pseuds/plato_rocks
Summary: Enola, now a Oxford graduate, has returned to London to live with her brother Sherlock and work as a consulting detective and teacher. Enola's brothers and her work mean everything to her, and she is left in complete shock by Tewksbury's marriage proposal.Takes place after "Useless boy(s)" and before "One word is too often profaned" in this series.
Relationships: Enola Holmes & Mycroft Holmes, Enola Holmes & Sherlock Holmes, Enola Holmes & Viscount "Tewky" Tewksbury, Enola Holmes/Mycroft Holmes, Enola Holmes/Sherlock Holmes
Series: Enola and Sherlock (and Mycroft) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967290
Comments: 38
Kudos: 27





	Our future is up to us

**Author's Note:**

> This sketch provides a glimpse into Enola's post-Oxford life with her beloved brothers. All interactions between Sherlock, Enola and Mycroft are platonically intimate, and there are no sexual feelings between them. Just like her brothers, Enola remains a proud, career-driven, single woman for life, with no interest in marriage and romantic/sexual relations with anyone.

Enola Holmes is a household name in London, rivalling that of Sherlock Holmes, her elder brother, in renown. But they are siblings, bosom friends, and collaborators, not competitors. Ever since Enola finished her natural sciences degree at Oxford and returned to 221B Baker Street, her clientele has been growing. In addition to her detective work, she runs a Sunday science school for young girls, training them in rigorous thinking and providing them with opportunities to do science experiments just as her own mother once did for her. She is universally loved and admired for her charismatic teaching and free-spirited nature.

Her life is as happy as can be. She keeps busy all day with her sleuthing work and lesson preparation, but always finding time for exercise and fresh air. At the end of the day she relaxes in her dear brother's arms as they exchange knowledge, jokes, stories and lots of tender hugs and kisses. From time to time they are visited by Mycroft, and in turn they visit him at his Pall Mall lodgings. Mycroft is usually inundated with high-priority government work at all times, but when he does have some precious leisure time, there is nothing that the eldest Holmes sibling likes more than to spend quality time with his dear siblings Enola and Sherlock.

Enola keeps in touch with some friends from Oxford on an occasional basis. Having grown into a rather attractive young lady with unusual wit and intellect, she has been the object of romantic interest from not an insignificant number of her former classmates. She has come to realize, with a sense of disgust, that they feel something different towards her -- a type of attraction that is far from that which she herself feels for her family and friends. Having zero interest in relationships based on such attraction -- relationships that are romantic and sexual in nature -- she has had to face the task of politely turning down the amorous advances of many a young man.

Of particular note is the case of Viscount James Tewksbury -- poor boy! This young lad had grown rather infatuated with Enola at Oxford, impressed by her cleverness and audacious spirit. His daydreams had been dashed fairly early on, when he mistook Enola's brother Sherlock for her lover. But when Enola finally introduced him to both of her brothers at their Oxford graduation ceremony, Tewksbury's hopes revived at once and he resolved to pursue Enola with his heart and soul, oblivious to the fact that she had never been romantically interested in him. He moved to London, taking up a seat in the House of Lords after graduation, and made it a point to pay Enola regular visits with the purpose of courting her. She enjoyed his company as a friend, and didn't mind seeing him frequently. She appreciated his encyclopaedic knowledge of botany, and indeed, consulted him on a few of her difficult cases where flowers were important clues. But one day, when Sherlock was out, Tewksbury had shown up at Baker Street with a huge bouquet of red roses for Enola and got down on one knee, presenting her with an expensive diamond ring, professing his all-consuming love for her and desire to unite as one flesh with her in holy matrimony.

Enola had staggered back in shock, utterly dumbfounded. She felt humiliated to the core -- _What have I done to be the object of such a lowly, carnal passion? I spent time with him as a friend, enjoying intellectual conversations, and never gave him any sign of fleshly desire! How could he have such base desires for my body? I thought that at least he, unlike the other Oxford boys, saw me for who I am!_ She wanted to slap the boy hard across the face. Fortunately, at that very moment, the door swung open and in walked Sherlock! One look at the scene and his sister's horrified countenance told him all he needed to know. Overcome with sympathy for his sister as well as irresistible urge to laugh, he enfolded Enola in his arms, cooing gently to reassure her as she hid her face in the safety of his bosom, "It's all right, sweetie, I'm here. We can't control how the world sees us and our bodies, honey."

"James, I'm afraid you have misunderstood my sister's nature," Sherlock had said to Tewksbury. "You see, but you don't observe. Enola has never felt any romantic attraction for anyone. It is in her nature to only have platonic relationships with those she loves. I am afraid, young man, that your efforts have been in vain."

With a heavy, disillusioned heart, Tewksbury had nodded, wiping a tear from his eye. He had put the ring back in his pocket, but had not been able to bring himself to take back the roses. With a final glance at Enola, still being soothed in Sherlock's arms, he had stepped out of the flat, shaking his head in disbelief as he descended the stairs and walked out into the street. _How is it possible for a girl to be so strongly attached to her brothers and never crave the intimate touch of a husband, to never desire the joy of a man's seed filling her womb and creating new life?_

The next morning, the roses had been given out to a joyful crowd of street urchins, the littlest ones among Sherlock's Baker Street Irregulars. Seeing their little faces light up with delight had brought a radiant smile to Enola's face. She and Sherlock had gone to Mycroft's after lunch, and told him what had transpired the previous day. Mycroft's hearty laughter had made Enola feel so much better, and she had giggled when he kissed her and told her he could always use his government contacts to keep an eye on Tewksbury and make sure he didn't try anything stupid again.

The Holmes siblings' days pass happily, filled with love and laughter. As the years go by, their mother retires from her secret society and returns to live at Ferndell Hall. Enola and her brothers return home to her at Christmas and Easter and some other times during the year, enjoying their time together as a real family. Mycroft forgives his mother for lying about how she spent the family money, and officially adds her name as a joint owner of Ferndell Hall. He even arranges for a tennis court to be installed on the lawn so that the statues and lamps suffer no further casualties from Enola's masterful racquet strokes. Mrs Holmes' heart swells with motherly pride whenever she sees her three children in each other's company, for they are the best companions and soulmates in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to end this series here, but decided to continue it based on high demand from readers! Thank you for all your feedback and suggestions; I have done my best to incorporate them. Please check out the next long (multi-chapter) story "One word is too often profaned", in which Tewksbury will pop up again (and do more than just pop up)!
> 
> I hope you are enjoying reading this series as much as I enjoy writing it! My goal is to highlight the platonically intimate sibling relationships that I really wanted to see form between Enola, Sherlock and Mycroft after watching the movie. I imagine Enola as an asexual, aromantic person, and want her to find true love and freedom with the family she never got a chance to bond with as a child.


End file.
